Iraq crisis: US sends 300 more troops to shore up embassy security

Some of the 750 US troops have been tasked with assessing Iraq's military.

Reuters: Alaa Al-Marjani

The United States is ramping up its military presence in Iraq, sending about 300 additional troops into the country as well as a detachment of helicopters and drone aircraft.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said about 200 forces arrived on Sunday in Iraq to reinforce security at the US embassy, its support facilities and Baghdad International Airport.

Another 100 personnel were also due to move to Baghdad to "provide security and logistics support".

"These forces are separate and apart from the up to 300 personnel the president authorised to establish two joint operations centres and conduct an assessment of how the US can provide additional support to Iraq's security forces," Rear Admiral Kirby said in a statement.

There are now about 750 US military personnel in Iraq, including soldiers tasked to assess Iraq's military and to protect American personnel, and military advisers who have been stationed there since the US withdrawal in 2011.

The new troop movement is part of the Obama administration's attempt to help prime minister Nouri al-Maliki push back the stunning gains that militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have made over the past few weeks.